Method of making a pennant

ABSTRACT

An improved method of making a pennant. A strip of material is brought to a printing operation whereat the desired pennant design in the number of colors is applied. After drying the colored paint or ink, the strip is brought to a die cutting station whereat the pennant is cut from the strip to the preselected outer configuration. At this same or another station at a position adjacent the long end of the pennant there is formed at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the end edge. These cuts are at right angles to this end edge. One pair of cuts is near one side edge and another pair is near the opposite side edge. The strip portions between these parallel cuts may be displaced from the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick or rod may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in the usual manner. A short distance in from the long end and on or substantially on the center line of the pennant there is provided a small X-cut through the material which permits the pennant to be displayed on a small pin or rod prior to its sale. At the time of sale any displacement of the fabric around this X-cut and occurring because of its mounting on a nail may be, and usually is, pushed back into the plane of the pennant.

United States Patent 1 Scarlet Oct. 23, 1973 METHOD OF MAKING A PENNANT Ted Scarlet, 10l Lilac Ln., Bergenfield, NJ. 07621 [22] Filed: Mar. 22, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 236,931

[76] Inventor:

[52] U.S. Cl. 101/426, 101/35, 101/226,

83/55,116/173 [51] Int. Cl. 841i 17/00 [58] Field of Search D29/l7, 6 C, 17 R;

101/224, 226, 227, 426, 35; 83/55, 52, 39; 1l6/l73-175; 40/129 C, 145

Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Clifford Crowder Attorney-Ralph R. Roberts [57] ABSTRACT An improved method of making a pennant. A strip of material is brought to a printing operation whereat the desired pennant design in the number of colors is applied. After drying the colored paint or ink, the strip is brought to a die cutting station whereat the pennant is cut from the strip to the preselected outer configuration. At this same or another station at a position adjacent the long end of the pennant there is formed at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the end edge. These cuts are at right angles to this end edge. One pair of cuts is near one side edge and another pair is near the opposite side edge. The strip portions between these parallel cuts may be displaced from the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick or rod may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in the usual manner. A short distance in from the long end and on or substantially on the center line of the pennant there is provided a small X-cut through the material which permits the pennant to be displayed on a small pin or red prior to its sale. At the time of sale any displacement vof the fabric around this X-cut and occurring because of its mounting on a nail may be, and usually is, pushed back into the plane of the pennant.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 METHOD OF MAKING A PENNANT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention With reference to the field of art as established in the United States Patent Office this invention pertains to the general class entitled, Signals and Indicators" and more particularly to the subclass entitled, flags and flagstaffs and with reference also to the further subclass of nonfouling. 2. Description of the Prior Art Pennants upon which are depicted various scenes, representation of athletic team names and the like are, of course, well known. In recent years the technique of screen printing has been employed to make multicolored pennants depicting scenes or names of places, monuments, structures and the like which are tourist attractions. Souvenior stands at or near these attractions usually carry and display many of such pennants which are intended to serve as a reminder of said visit. Prior to this invention compact packaging and display of such pennants has been a problem. The rods or small poles upon which the pennant was mounted was often attached prior to their shipment, or if subsequent to their shipment, prior to their display at the stand. Where these pennants are attached to the rods or poles at the stand by the attendant, the conventional manner of attachment to the usually provided extending tabs is very time consuming and sometimes is not satisfactory. Display of the pennants on their attached rods does not lend itself to stacking or for removal and examination by the customer except where displayed on special racks or tables.

Efforts to alleviate these problems have resulted in several U.S. Patents among which is US. Pat. No.3,l07,648 to LUNDSTROM as issued on October, 1963; US. Pat. No. 2,192,414 to CARETON as issued on Mar. 5th, 1940 and US. Pat. No. 2,377,219 to ELLIS as issued on May 29th, 1945. In these patents are'shown holes which permit the slidable mounting of a stiff pennant on an automobile radio antenna, a flagstaff,'ro d or the like. These punched holes are readily visible and where freely slidable on the pole do not provide a snug grip on the pole. Where the fit on the holes is sufficient to retain the pennant where positioned on the pole, the pennant becomes rippled such as is seen in FIG. 1 of LUNDSTROM U.S.'Pat. No. 3,107,648.

but also provides a means for supporting the pennant by which it is easily displayed.

Summary of the Invention This invention may be summarized at least in part with reference to its objects. I

It is an object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a pennant and a method of making a pennant in which at its long end there is formed a plurality of pairs of substantially parallel cuts through the pennant fabric, said cuts being substantially parallel to the axis of the pennant and providing means to form loops for retaining a pole or stick while retaining the pennant in a flat condition.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a pennant and a method of making a pennant in which at least two pairs of substantially parallel slits are made through the fabric near its long end with the material between the slits forming loops for selectively retaining the pennant on a small rod. An X-cut is additionally made in the pennant on or very near the lengthwise center line of the pennant and near the long end of the pennant to provide means for the displaying of the pennant on a thin pin or nail.

It is a still further object to provide, and it does pro vide, a pennant which is printed on at least one side and in so printing provides a colored end strip at the long end of the pennant. In this colored strip is provided at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts of a determined length which are disposed at substantially right angles to the end of the pennant. On or substantially on the. longitudinal center line of the pennant and near its long end is formed an X-cut through the fabric.

In brief, the pennant of this invention provides an inexpensive product, easily grouped for display on a pin in a manner to utilize the least amount of display space. Loop means provided by parallel cuts in the fabric enable the pennant to be slidably mounted on a pole or rod when desired. The pennant thus made may be compactly stacked in a flat manner in the minimum of space. The pennant is made by plural printing on a strip 7 of stock. The outer perimeter of this pennant is form ed by die cutting and also by die cutting there is formed parallel loop forming slits and an X-cut formed near the long end of the pennant.

In addition to the above summary the following disclosure is detailed to insure adequacy and aid in understanding of the invention. This disclosure, however, is

not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 represents a fragmentary plan view' of a length of felt or similarcloth material and showing applied thereto a printed motif or design preparatory to the die cutting and slitting to form a completed pennant;

FIG. 2 represents a plan view of the back side ofa pennant after cutting and removal from the printed strip of FIG. 1 and showing in particular at the long end of this triangular form the placement and arrangement of three pairs of parallel cut slits and an X-cut slit for the display mounting of the pennant, and

FIG. 3 represents an enlarged plan view, substantially full size, of a fragmentary portion of the large or long end of a pennant and showing in particular the relationship of the rod retaining slots and the cross or X-cut for mounting of the pennant on a small pin for display purposes.

In the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for convenience, these names, however, are intended to be generic in their application. Corresponding reference characters refer to like members throughout the several figures of the drawing. The drawing accompanying, and forming part of, this specification discloses certain details of construction for the purpose of explantation of the broader aspects of the invention, but it should be understood that structural details may be modified in various respects without departure from the concept and principles of the invention and that the pennant of this invention may be incorporated in other structural forms than the particular triangular configuration shown.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in particular to the drawing there is depicted a pennant and a method of making a pennant which is usually of a generally triangular configuration such as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In FIG. 1 there is depicted a strip of cloth of a determined width, which width is selected so as to permit two, three or more pennants to be simultaneously printed. This strip 10 for printing is usually of a solid background, usually white, and the motif or indicia is usually in a series of colors which is printed sequentially to provide a multicolor design. This printing is either by conventional multicolored printing or by screen printing. As shown, the outline of two pennants is represented, which pair is one of a group of a series of like pennants. The two pennants are shown and identified as 12a and 12b and are exactly or substantially identical except reversed 180 and are arranged so that they have a common border 13. This arrangement is, of course, utilized to save the cost of die cutting and also to economize on the use of material for making the pennants. Of course, the pennants 12a and 12b need not be of the same subject or even use all the same colors as long as they use common colors to save application time. This is a commonly practiced grouping" or family arranging for printing in multicolors. I

The strip 10 is advanced at determined intervals or as screen interchanges are made until the printing process has been repeated for the determined number of times necessary to print the desired multicolored arrangements on the pennant. After the printing step is completed the strip is dried and is then brought to the cutting station whereat the outer perimeter'including the common longitudinal cut 13 cuts 14a and 14 b and the end cuts 164 and 161) are made; The pennant is then removed from the strip and now appears in its removed and completed condition as in FIG. 2. During the die cutting of the outer perimeter of the pennant to the determined contour, or before or after this perimeter cutting, there also is provided the cutting of the two extending tabs 18 and 19 which may or may not be used by the purchaser to attach the pennant to a stick, wall or like means.

In additionto these tabs there is also provided means for the ready mounting of the pennant on a stick or pole without the need of auxiliary attaching facilities such as pins or glue. This ready mounting means incorporates three like, double parallel cuts identified respectively as 21, 22 and 23. These double cuts as seen in particular in FIG. 3 and as reduced to practice are each about three-quarters of an inch in length. The cuts forming each parallel pair are spaced about a quarter of an inch apart and are spaced from the end 16 about an eighth of an inch. To retain a rod or stick, the strip between the cuts is displaced from the plane of the pennant by pushing it forwardly or backwardly to form a loop through which a small stick of approximately a quarter of an inch in diameter is inserted and pushed therethrough. Although only two loops are required, three retaining loops are preferred to retain the pennant on a rod. In displacing the strips to form loops. the strips are moved to the same side so that all loops are either toward the front or toward the rear side of the pennant.

Central of the upper end 16 of the pennant and a short distance in from the pair of cuts 22 is an X-cut or cross cut 24 which permits one or more pennants to be hung for display upon a small pin or nail usually at a souvenir or novelty stand providing a sales outlet for the pennant. A grouping of pennants of like or dissimilar design is mounted upon a single pin and by gravity hangs in a vertical attitude. As they, the pennants, are sold or examined they are slid from the pin usually one at a time. The attendant, with the retaining X-cut occupying no void or space, closes this cut by pressing the tab portions around the cut flat so that from the front or viewing side of the pennant there is no visible evidence of this X-cut as the pennant is mounted on a rod for use or display purposes.

USE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE PENNANT ter of selection which is essentially the same as that used for the cutting by pattern by clothing manufacturers or dressmakers. Thestrip of stock 10 is brought to a printing station where it is printed either by silk screening or by other printing means to provide at least on one side of the pennant the desired printed display. This display may be words, figures, scenes, characters and the like either alone or in combination and in a multiply of colors. The original color of the pennant is usually left unprinted or uncolored in parts to provide one of the color patterns of the pennant product.

After the pennant has been printed it is passed to a steel rule die or like die cutting means whereat the up erator'using identifying register marks or means die cuts the peripheryof the pennant. At the same time, or

" prior to or subsequent to, the pairs of slits 21, 22 and 23 are also cut through the fabric. These slits, as illustrated, preferably are made in a colored border or strip 25 provided at the long end 16a of the pennant. This colored end border is usually made of a neutral background, often brown, and is sufficiently solid so that the slits 21, 22 and 23 are not readily discernable unless closely looked for by the purchaser, salesman or user of the pennant who desires to mount the pennant on a stick or small pole. As above noted, the X-cut 24 or cross cut also extends through the pennant and is postioned at a point sufficiently in from the long end 16a or 16b so that the stiffness of the pennant stock is not distorted or torn when the weight of the displayed pennant is carried by the pin or nail passing through this X-cut..

The printed pennant in its cut or trimmed condition may be shipped or stored in an aligned and flat stacked condition since there is no appreciable difference in thickness of any-portion of the pennants. This flat stacking reduces the packing problems to an absolute miniumuni whether in-a packing box or on a table, wall or like space. Where rods or small poles are to be sold or supplied with the pennant, these rods are usually separately shipped or stored in a pile away from the display stand. The salesman handling the sale of the pennant usually inserts the stick through the loops formed from the material between slits 211, 22 and 23. At the time of sale, the pennant has been removed from the display pin and any displacement of material around the cross slit or X-cut 24 is manipulated into place by the salesman who thus readily removes any traces or appearance of any hole around the X-cut by merely pressing the material around the X-cut 24 back into the plane of the pennant.

This pennant is unique and novel in that the cuts 21, 22 and 23 are not visible unless used. This is particularly true where the pennant is made of a felt-like material so that the cuts 21, 22 and 23 and the X-cut 24 are retained intheplane of the pennant until deliberately displaced. The extending tabs 18 and 19 may be used to mount the pennant upon any conventional standard as by thumbtacks and the like. This pennant is also unique in that the cross-slit or X-cut 24 provides a means for mounting the pennant upon a single pin so that one or more pennants maybe hung on this pin while utilizing the very minimum of display space.

To make a pennant in accordance with the above disclosure and teachings includes the steps of advancing a strip or bit of material to a printing station where the pennant stock is printed in a single or multiplicity of colors and arrangements to provide the desired displayof information thereon. After the printing. of the strip by a silkscreening or other technique and drying thereof, the printed strip is brought in way of a die cutting apparatus such as a steel rule die whereby there is performed the step of peripheral cutting of the pennant to the outer desired configuration. At this same time, prior to the outside cutting, or after the peripheral cutting of the pennant there is cut into the broader end of the pennant and adjacent the outer ends of this broad or long end at least two pairs of parallel cuts arranged in a spaced relationship. Each pair of cuts or slits are mere knife slits occupying no space in the stock. When the strip or tab between the slits is displaced from the plane of the pennant this strip provides a loop for the retention of a rod or stick of desired diameter when inserted and advanced therethrough. At the same time of making one of the die cutting steps of the pnnant there is also formed a short distance in from the long end of the pennant and on, or substantially on, the center line of the pennant an X-cut24 providing means for the dis play mounting of the pennant upon a pin. After display and the sale of the pennant, any displaced material or distortion of the material around this X-cut 24 may be moved or pressed back within the plane of the pennant so that any evidence of a slit becomes substantially in visible to the user and viewer of the pennant.

It is important to note that the pennant and method of making provides a product which may be stacked, shipped, boxed or displayed in a flat and aligned pile. Contrary to the necessarily serpentine or accordian pleated appearance of a pennant which has visible holes formed in the pennant such as in the above mentioned US. Pat. No. 3,107,648 the slits 21,22, 23 and 24 are not readily visible until deliberately manipulated to provide mounting loops. To place a rod through the loops formed from the tabs between cuts 21, 22 and 23 requires that the loops be displaced on the same side of the pennant. With the loops and rod on the same side, the pennant is displayed and mounted in a flat single plane to produce the maximum effectiveness without recourse to mounting by tabs 18 and 19. These tabs when used for mounting provide a like result in that the pennant is displayed in a flat condition.

Terms such as left, right," up, down, bottom, top, front, back, in, out and the like are applicable to the embodiment shown and described in conjunction with the drawing. These terms are merely for the purposes of description and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the pennant may be constructed or used.

While a particular embodiment of the pennant as shown and method formaking in a triangular configuration has been shown and described it is to be understood that the invention is'not limited thereto and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of making a pennant of felt, cloth, plastic and like sheet material, said pennant when completed having at least two loop means which maybe displaced from their normal condition in the plane of the pennant to provide retaining loops for the mounting of the pennant so that said pennant may be displayed in a flat plane while being supported by and on a rod, stick and the like, said steps for making this pennant including: (a) advancing a strip of sheet material to a printing means; (b) printing on at least one side of the strip with a plurality of colors to provide the desired pennant design; (c) transporting the printed strip from the printing station and drying said printing to enable further handling of the strip; (d) forming a steel rule die so as to cut the desired outer pennant configuration;

(e) mounting at least four short rule die portions in and being disposed a short distance from the. edge of a long end of the pennant, said cuts being disposed at substantially right angles to said long end edge with one pair of cuts being disposed near one side edge of the pennant and another pair disposed near the opposite side edge, said cuts being spaced from each other so that strip portions between said parallel cuts may be displaced from the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick, rod and the like may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in a flat mannet, and (g) separating said die cut pennant from the strip of stock for storage and display of the pennant.

2. The method of making a pennant as in claim 1 which further includes mounting in the cutting die a small intersecting X-shaped die which is disposed within the outer trimming portion of the die and near the end forming the long end of the pennant and during the step of die cutting, the cutting a short distance in from said long end and on substantially the center line of the pennant a small X-cut through the material, said X-cut permitting the pennant to be displayed on a small pin, rod and the like, said X-cut being of such a small extent that any displacement of the fabric occurring because of its mounting on a pin when removed from said pin may be and usually is pushed back into the plane of the pennant.

v 3. The method of making a pennant as in claim 1 in which in the forming of the steel rule die that portion which cuts the outer configuration is generally triangular in shape and formed in this outer die cutting configuration is two tab forming portions which as the pennant is cut causes to extend from the long end two tabs providing additional mounting means for the pennant.

4. The method of making a pennant as in claim 1 in which during the printing of the pennant there is further included the step of printing at the long end of the pennant a border of neutral color such as brown, said border being of sufficient width to encompass the area into which the parallel cuts are formed in the pennant.

5. The method of making a pennant as in claim 1 which further includes an additional pair of short rule die portions which are mounted in the die so as to be midway of the other two pairs and in alignment therewith so that during the cutting of the pennant there are formed three pairs of parallel cuts spaced about onequarter of an inch apart. 

1. The method of making a pennant of felt, cloth, plastic and like sheet material, said pennant when completed having at least two loop means which may be displaced from their normal condition in the plane of the pennant to provide retaining loops for the mounting of the pennant so that said pennant may be displayed in a flat plane while being supported by and on a rod, stick and the like, said steps for making this pennant including: (a) advancing a strip of sheet material to a printing means; (b) printing on at least one side of the strip with a plurality of colors to provide the desired pennant design; (c) transporting the printed strip from the printing station and drying said printing to enable further handling of the strip; (d) forming a steel rule die so as to cut the desired outer pennant configuration; (e) mounting at least four short rule die portions in and within the outer die cutting configuration and in substantially parallel alignment and like lengths and spaced to provide means for making at least two pairs of cuts through the pennant, said short rule die portions positioned a short distance from a long end of the pennant; (f) advancing the die into the sheet material so as to cut the strip to provide the desired outer pennant configuration and at least two pairs of substantially parallel cuts made through the pennant, each pair of cuts being disposed a short distance from the edge of a long end of the pennant, said cuts being disposed at substantially right angles to said long end edge with one pair of cuts being disposed near one side edge of the pennant and another pair disposed near the opposite side edge, said cuts being spaced from each other so that strip portions between said parallel cuts may be displaced from the plane of the pennant to provide loops through which a stick, rod and the like may be inserted for carrying and displaying the pennant in a flat manner, and (g) separating said die cut pennant from the strip of stock for storage and display of the pennant.
 2. The method of making a pennant as in claim 1 which further includes mounting in the cutting die a small intersecting ''''X''''-shaped die which is disposed within the outer trimming portion of the die and near the end forming the long end of the pennant and during the step of die cutting, the cutting a short distance in from said long end and on substantially the center line of the pennant a small X-cut through the material, said X-cut permitting the pennant to be displayed on a small pin, rod and the like, said X-cut being of such a small extent that any displacement of the fabric occurring because of its mounting on a pin when removed from said pin may be and usually is pushed back into the plane of the pennant.
 3. The method of making a pennant as in claim 1 in which in the forming of the steel rule die that portion which cuts the outer configuration is generally triangular in shape and formed in this outer die cutting configuration is two tab forming portions which as the pennant is cut causes to extend from the long end two tabs providing additional mounting means for the pennant.
 4. The method of making a pennant as in claim 1 in which during the printing of the pennant there is further included the step of printing at the long end of the pennant a border of neutral color such as brown, said border being of sufficient width to encompass the area into which the parallel cuts are formed in the pennant.
 5. The method of making a pennant as in claim 1 which further includes an additional pair of short rule die portions which are mounted in the die so as to be midway of the other two pairs and in alignment therewith so that during the cutting of the pennant there are formed three pairs of parallel cuts spaced about one-quarter of an inch apart. 